Lichfield villagers gearing up to fight high-speed rail plans

People living in a Lichfield village have said that a new high-speed rail line would have a “massive” impact on their lives.

The comments come from local campaign group Streethay Against Development (SAD) as the debate about the proposed 250mph line linking London, the Midlands and Manchester.

The group was originally set up to battle plans for new homes in their village, but the committee believe that the new rail-line would be a “more disastrous attack” on their community.

In a letter to local residents, SAD spokesperson Roger Manning said:

“None of us could have predicted that a massive and more disastrous attack upon our right to live in peace and harmony within our established village environment was about to be launched upon us.

“If we are sufficiently generous to overlook the serious depreciation of the value of our homes, are we prepared to accept the noise and potential risks of 250mph trains thundering though our village every few minutes?

“This is a cause that harnesses a range of local considerations – our way of living, environmental concerns and the realistic expectations of those of this and future generations.”

Although the group say they remain committed to their initial cause, they are now seeking views from Streethay villagers about uniting once more to battle the proposed HS2 rail line.

In their letter to residents they describe how the line would cross high over the A38 and the Britannia Enterprise Park and then into the field which had been earmarked for a new housing development.

And Mr Manning warned that only communities will have the power to prevent the rail line from going ahead. He explained:

“The current UK financial situation does not mean that HS2 will not happen. It is only as a community combining with others that we can resist this proposal.”

The move by SAD follows the creation of the Lichfield Action Group to fight against the new line.

The organiser of that group has claimed that Lichfield “will get all of the blight but none of the benefit” should the HS2 scheme go ahead.